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We have been hearing for a long time that the most important thing in choosing a diet is the rational construction of food ingredients, which should be taken in five meals a day, and breakfast is the most important in all of this. Opponents of starvation diets stand in opposition to such claims, pointing to their miraculous properties and, more importantly, spectacular effects. Among such cleansing diets, the IF diet (intermittent fasting) is particularly popular. What is it about? And most importantly – what effects can be achieved thanks to it?
Intermittent fasting – what is this diet all about?
Contrary to popular opinions of opponents, the if diet does not consist in experiencing the agony of the body associated with extreme smoothing of the body, on the contrary – it is based on a specific amount of time breaks in nutrition. This allows the body to rest during this period, not producing enzymes, hormones, and taking a break in digestion. The introduction of such fasting in everyday life results not only in the loss of unwanted kilograms, but also in the strengthening of metabolic work or protection against other health ailments.
Diet if — effects
Why does the if diet get so many positive reviews? Well, one of the reasons encouraging to practice this diet is the fact that it is not necessary to permanently eliminate certain products from the daily menu, but only to adapt the body to the new mode – assuming several hours breaks in eating. What do you gain with this diet? Well, what is most important in slimming – acceleration of metabolism, cleansing the body, losing kilograms. The if diet will help burn excess body fat, reduce glucose and bad cholesterol levels in the blood, promote the oxidation of fatty acids, and increase the level of glucagon and growth hormone. In addition, to cleanse the body, you can also reach for preparations that allow you to achieve such an effect.
Eating window – a basic concept in the if diet
There are different types of if diet – largely conditioned by lifestyle and gender. However, regardless of which model you choose, its key assumptions are several-hour breaks in eating interspersed with the so-called the eating window, i.e. the time when you can eat to your heart’s content, which of course should also be based on rational nutrition planning. Eating in such a diet takes place only during the time window followed by fasting. It is very important to note that the time of sleep is included in the period of the aforementioned fasting. Gender-wise, it is recommended that women start with a smaller fasting interval of 14 hours, while men can try starting with a 16-hour fast. During the diet, it is also possible to extend this period, which strengthens its effects. The second type of if diet is the it stop eat model, in which 1-2 days is a period of complete starvation, and the rest of the week is normal nutrition, before the diet. Of course, then it is also necessary to take care of the right amount of calories and properly balance the menu.
Principles of the if diet – what happens in your body during such fasting?
During fasting, lipolysis intensifies and the process of fatty acid oxidation intensifies. The lack of calorie flow causes the body to use fat tissue reserves. In addition, fasting reduces the production of insulin in the body, the high level of which is responsible for the accumulation of fat stores and unwanted fat gain. At the same time, stimulating growth hormone increases fatty acid oxidation without affecting the muscles. When using the if diet, you can also reach for additional fat burners that will speed up the slimming process.